Understanding SOGIESC means understanding yourself and others

Parami undergraduate students in a reflection session during the Taiwan trip

Learning about SOGIESC helps people understand the diversity and differences within the community and within themselves. With understanding, we will become more open-minded and accept people for who they are. 

SOCIESC stands for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. SOGIESC has also become an alternative term for LGBTQIA+ when talking about inclusion and equality. The term is inclusive and universal, often adopted in policy-making and by human rights advocates. 

Phyo Thit Luu, who has been actively involved in the LGBT rights movement since 2008, noted that it is essential to discuss SOCIESC across different contexts: family, school, work, and community. This could help us reduce gender prejudice in our society and build a community that embraces diversity. "We cannot decide how people should live their lives and who they should fall in love with," he said. 

Phyo Thit Luu was invited to be a guest speaker for the 'Breaking boundaries through SOGIE' public talk organized by Parami University on August 26, 2024. His experience in human rights, gender equality, and awareness of inclusion makes him a powerful voice for creating inclusive spaces where everyone is valued. The full talk, which discussed gender prejudice in Myanmar’s society and ways to raise awareness about diverse societies and inclusion, can be viewed on YouTube.  

Building an inclusive and respectful community

One of the main takeaways from the talk was that each individual's action and contribution matter. Everyone in the community is responsible for building an inclusive and respectful community that embraces diversity and difference. SOGIESC encompasses choice, dignity, diversity, equality, and respect. Unless a person expresses, we are not able to know their actual sexual orientation and gender identity. 

"In our culture, when people see individuals with diverse SOGIESC, they consider the individuals as being unusual. It is just about diversity, nothing strange. LGBT people are just human beings," noted Phyo Thit Luu. "We can choose our sexual orientation and gender identity. We all have the right to choose." 

Reducing gender prejudice and discrimination 

Expanding knowledge around human rights, inclusion, and gender equality is essential to preventing gender stereotypes. With a good understanding of community diversity and differences, people will become more open-minded and accept intersectionality and multiple identities. People's gender identity does not always reflect their sexual orientation because it is about their feelings that cannot be seen. 

To avoid gender stereotypes, 1) Be mindful of using inclusive language and pronoun usage, 2) Don't label, 3) Know that differences exist, and 4) Raise awareness about diversity and differences.